Some General Questions about birds

[newbirdperson]

So, as I mentioned in the intro thread, I'm interested in getting a bird in the next few years. I know they live a long time so I want to do my research. I've been around a few birds but I've never owned one. My options are getting a bird from a breeder or rescue. My mom also has two birds they would consider letting me have. One is a cockatiel and the other is a green cheeked conure. Neither of these birds have been handled. I don't consider the cocktiel handleable at this point. I used to be able to handle the Conure but he has decided he doesn't like me. It is important to me that if I get a bird I can handle it and it can come out of it's cage. These birds are over 10 years old. Would it be possible to get them to a point I could handle them and let them out of the cage if I used clicker training? I think that would be a deciding factor whether or not I would take them or look at rescues or breeders. Also I don't have bird experience and I live in an apartment at the moment. Give me some ideas of species I should look at.

Thanks!

[Debra]

It will likely take a lot of time and bandaids to tame them down again and that's not a promise that they will become snuggle bugs. Adopting from a rescue or breeder, you stand a better chance of the bird choosing you -- a good step toward bonding with him/her. I don't have any experience with lovebirds, but I do have both budgies and cockatiels. In my opinion, both of these would be great in an apartment. Yes, the budgies/parakeets tend to chatter a lot, but they are not loud.

[Honesty]

I agree with Debra, a Cockatiel or a Budgie would be a great choice. Lovebirds are pretty quiet too :)

[Blancaej]

Like Debra said, there is no guarantee that you can get your families birds to come around to you. One suggestion I could make is try to work with them while they are still with your family before you bring them home. Go over regularly and interact as much as they allow. Patience is key when winning over any bird. But some untame birds can be difficult to tame.

But like the others, I agree if you get a bird from a rescue or breeder you can let the bird pick you and your odds of bonding quicker would be higher. Some conures can be loud. Something to keep in mind. Good luck!

[spiritbird]

I suggest you look for a hand tamed/fed bird of your choice. We have a breeder on this forum that does an excellent job with the small birds. She may chime in here with advice.

[coltfire]

As a breeder of budgies and cockatiels and eckkies.i would also suggest a smaller bird to start with while you get use to owning a bird . both types are easy to keep .the more you put into your bird the more you will get out of him/her buying a hand raised bird will alow you to interact with your new bird straight away. Concider what you want from your bird do the research on that type of bird and make sure it will fit into your life style first. You can ask as many question you need to ask on here,we are all here to help the best we can.

[Feathers First Aviary]

Like everyone else has said, while it may be possible to tame the two your mom has, I think you will set yourself up for a much better experience if you start with either a handfed baby or an older bird that takes a liking to you from the start. I see a lot of inexperienced bird owners take on untame birds expecting to work some sort of magic and in the end they just discourage themselves from wanting to have birds. :( Budgies are fantastic little birds! They are super smart, can learn to talk, are pretty easy to teach different tricks to, the biggest advice I have in that department, is to find a hand fed and socialized baby, they can be hard to find but you will not regret it! Budgies can get pretty chattery when they are in groups but most of the single budgie homes i've been to are surprisingly quiet, they seem to really get each other going so they are much quieter if they don't have anyone to banter with. Also, English, or exhibition budgies, are larger, a bit slower moving and seem to enjoy being petted and touched, american, or pet type budgies are much more hyper and incredibly skilled flyers. I don't have a preference myself, either can become really bonded to people and make great companions, they both have their pros and cons though. Cockatiels are really cool birds too although if you have very thin walls they may not be a good idea, they are huge whistlers and the sound can travel pretty well. 'tiels are also powder down birds so if you have allergies or asthma that's something to consider, I doubt one would produce enough dust to really bother you but I guess that would depend on the specific person. Lovebirds are great if you have one that is bonded to you, they are pretty known for cage aggression and territorial behavior, especially with the females so that's something to consider. Parrotlets are small and quiet but I would absolutely not recommend one to a first time bird owner, they are cute and little but man can they be ornery!! Unless you happen to find a green rumped p'let, they are little sweethearts and I absolutely adore them!! Another option to consider would be a linnie(lineolated parakeet), they are small, quiet, can be fantastic talkers(the ones that do talk speak really clear and in the most adorable voice!), they aren't known for being nippy and they are really laid back, I think they are great birds for someone that is just starting out. They can be a bit hard to find but I do believe I know of a breeder that may be near you if you decide you'd like to look into them. :)

[newbirdperson]

So... some more questions, about the lineolated parakeet, because they sound like an awesome option, I read that even with proper hand taming they can become hand shy after maturity. How true is that? If I do get one and it decides for some reason it doesn't want me to handle it, what are my options as far as enrichment and exercise? I also read that they are territorial and can be cage agressive. Could there be a correlation between being hand shy and territorial? Would they be fine once I can get them out of thier cage? Can I just open the cage and allow them to come out on their own and midigate some of the agression problems? I also read that they can be sensitive to change. If I get one while I am renting and move, would the bird recover?